City officials today broke ground on a $12 million redevelopment of WNYC Transmitter Park along the East River in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.

The project includes the construction of a pier at the foot of Kent Street, an upland connection to the pier, an esplanade for passive recreation, and 1.6-acres of open space to provide increased waterfront access.

“Increasing public access to our waterfronts is a key part of the city’s efforts to transform neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs,” said Seth Pinsky, president of the city’s Economic Development Corp., which is heading the project. “Turning this underutilized site into a new park, pier and esplanade will help to revitalize Greenpoint and help us realize our vision of creating continuous corridors of waterfront open space throughout the City.”

Construction on the park is expected to be complete in early 2012.

“Across all five boroughs we’re working to bring our waterfront back to life for recreational use by New Yorkers, and WNYC Transmitter Park will be the latest, but not the last, new park we’re bringing to Greenpoint,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Located on the site of the former WNYC radio transmission towers and a ferry terminal, this transformative project will construct a pier, park and esplanade, providing Greenpoint residents with increased access to the spectacular East River waterfront.”

“The groundbreaking for the new Transmitter Park is a very exciting moment for the City,” said City Planning Director Amanda Burden. “It wasn’t so long ago that this waterfront was completely fenced off from the public and badly deteriorating. This new waterfront park will be an excellent asset to the neighborhood and brings us one step closer to achieving an important goal in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg rezoning plan: returning this waterfront to the community by providing complete and continuous public access along the shore.”

The transformation of WNYC Transmitter Park has been long delayed but makes good on promises included in the 2005 Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning, which set up a framework to provide continuous public access to the area’s shorefront.

Located on the site of the former WNYC radio transmission towers, the new park will include a pier at the end of Kent Street consisting of concrete platforms connected by aluminum bridges, a new overlook to the south, new seating, and a waterfront esplanade that will provide connections to adjacent sites. A pedestrian bridge will be built across an excavated historic ferry slip and restored as a wetland accessible to visitors.

The center of the park will include a large, open lawn with a separate children’s play area featuring a nautical theme to reflect the site’s context. It will also include a spray shower and nature gardens.

Funding for the $12 million project includes $9.6 million in city capital funds allocated by Mayor Bloomberg, $500,000 by the City Council, $400,000 by Borough President Marty Markowitz, a more than $1.1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration and $370,000 in grants from the state Environmental Protection Fund.